


A Stepdad’s Still a Dad

by CaptainSchmoe



Series: The Never Empty AU [2]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Family, Father’s Day, M/M, Spooning, but let’s be real you knew that was coming lol, no spoilers for the main story don’t worry, parenting AU, unless the guys getting married is a spoiler
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-14 02:20:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19263991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainSchmoe/pseuds/CaptainSchmoe
Summary: Chloe draws a thing for Dad and Jack on Father’s Day.





	A Stepdad’s Still a Dad

**Author's Note:**

> I’m hitting a huge writer’s block for Chapter 16 so you get this instead to tide you over.

_Shishh. Shissshhh. Shh. Shh._

Mark’s eyes fluttered open to the soft light of the rising sun in his face and the whispered brushing of... a piece of paper being slid under the door, now that twisted his neck around to check. What was that little sneak doing?

But he was afraid of waking up Seán if he tried to pull his numb arm out from underneath his head.

Oh, that’s right. Today was Father’s Day, wasn’t it? It probably had something to do with that. A drawing, perhaps, or a nice little message for the two of them.

Now, if only Mark could keep Seán snoozing while he slowly, carefully unspooned him. Wiggling away, sliding his arm out...

“Hm!” Seán suddenly jolted awake, flipping towards Mark. Shit.

“Sorry,” he whispered.

Seán arched his back and outstretched his free arm. He lifted his head to release Mark’s arm. “What’s got you up so early?”

“Chloe slipped a piece of paper under the door.”

“That’s all it takes to wake you up? Jesus Christ, Mark, how do you get any sleep at all?”

“At least I’m here to wake up if someone tries to break in,” he added, swinging his dead arm, hoping for it to tingle back to life.

“Arm asleep?”

“Yeah.”

“Now you know how I feel.”

“Shush.” Mark picked up the paper, unable to resist peeking before bringing it to Seán. “Aww.”

“What’s on it?”

The drawing was a recreation of the wedding photo that featured Chloe on Seán’s lap with Mark leaned in. Mismatched head sizes, awkward hand shapes, and crayon streaks reaching outside the lines added Chloe’s character into it and struck his heart. “It’s for both of us.”

Seán held out his hand to take it from Mark, who studied the emotions coming in calm, quiet waves across Seán’s face, and guessing what could have been going in inside his head. A melty smile, paired with a giggle, delighted by Chloe’s gesture. A wistful gaze, perhaps letting it sink in that he was (sort of) a father now. A slow blink and a sigh, and a bite of the lip - he seemed sort of sad somehow?

“Hang that on the fridge,” he said, handing it back to Mark.

“You feeling okay?”

Seán paused before answering, “Just thinking.” He noticed the alarm clock. “It’s only five in the morning? Jesus Christ, Mark, why’d you have to teach her to wake up this early?”

“Didn’t mean to. Must just be in the Fischbach blood.”

“Hm.” Seán yawned and slipped back under the covers. “Well. I have very different blood.”

“I’ll let you finish sleeping, then.” Mark mockingly tucked him in, smoothing out the blanket over his chest and watching his face drop to a pout. Then, he finished with a kiss on his forehead. “Nighty-night, sweetie.”

“Oh, shush.”

 

* * *

 

It was only while he was out on his usual morning run, alone with his thoughts, that Mark remembered that Chloe had only recently even begun waking up this early once again. Not every day like she did as a toddler, but more and more now that Seán’s assumed a parental role in her life. Prior to that, she’d spent the last year and a half struggling to get out of bed. Among other issues like fighting with kids at school and having nightmares.

Now, that cheerful little girl he once knew was gradually coming back, thanks to Seán.

 

* * *

 

Panting, sweaty, hot, and starving, he slogged through the front door to find a surprisingly-awake Seán eating waffles with Chloe, the syrupy scent sending him near-drooling. Her drawing was proudly hanging on the fridge, fighting other drawings, magnets, and bills for space. Chica patiently waited at Seán’s side for a nibble, failing to pay any attention to Mark as he came in.

“Hey, you!” Chloe called out to him. “We didn’t want to wait for you.”

“I couldn’t go back to sleep,” Seán said. “Someone wanted breakfast.”

“Who was that someone?” Mark’s eyes pointed to Chica. So did Seán’s.

“Everyone. Isn’t that right, Chica?”

Chica stared.

Chloe pointed to a stack of four waffles and a syrup bottle on the counter. “That’s yours, Dad.”

“Thanks.”

“Jack put our names in banana slices on them.”

“He did?” Sure enough, as Mark passed by them, he noticed their destroyed but still readable names in halved banana slices, and Mark’s had “Dad”, too. Aw.

“Hey, you made a good drawing, by the way.” Mark tapped a finger on it. “Thank you, we loved it.”

“Yeah, I told Jack that he counts as a dad, so it’s for him, too.”

Seán blushed and smiled through a mouthful of waffle. _Aw._ Seemed like that meant a lot to him. It probably did. He did say he’d always looked forward to being a dad someday, and Mark was a little worried about how Seán would feel about having a stepchild instead of a “real” child.

Though, in Chloe’s eyes, it didn’t matter. And the joy radiating off Seán’s face confirmed how much he needed to hear that.


End file.
